Summer Romance
by xSweetEternityx
Summary: HIATUS LxK Being asked to spend a week down at the Beachside, the participants of the concours agreed. Being surrounded by gorgeous guys for a whole week, Kahoko has decided to make a decision. Who will it be? Will things work out between the two of them
1. 1st Measure

**A/N: Hello! This is my first fanfic for La Corda d'Oro, since all of my previous work was done for Gundam Seed. I found Len's cool character was hard to keep in character, but I tried my hardest! This fanfic takes place _just_ after the concours, so this was before Kahoko and the others had met Aoi Kaji. In the manga, I guess you could say that this fic is right after chapter 46. Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own La Corda d'Oro**

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**Summer Romance**

**La Corda d'Oro – LenxKahoko**

**Chapter 1: 1st Measure**

"I can't believe I am _here_," Len said digustedly as he placed the palm of his hand against the side of his head.

Ryotaro sighed for what seemed to be the 3rd time. "Quit complaining, it's you you decided to come, am I wrong?" he replied as he tied his apron behind him.

Len narrowed his eyes at the green-haired male beside you. "_You_ tricked me," he grumbled.

The opening of the dressing room door could be heard as a familiar head popped in. "C'mon you two! Hurry up! The manager is gathering everyone!" shouted Kazuki with a big smile on his face.

The two sighed together as they resigned themselves to their fate.

* * *

_Flashback:_ _"We're going to the beach?!" chorused the 7 participants of the concours._

_Kanazawa leaned against the window sill as he faced the 7 participants of the concours. "Well, a friend of mine who owns a beachside cafe there is in need of volunteers for the next week, so since you all did quite well in the concours, the principal agreed that you needed a break and thus gave you all permission for a week's leave from school," he explained as he lit a cigarette. "Besides, you'll also be paid while you're there,"_

"_Really?! At the beach? That sounds really cool! I'm in!" Kazuki replied enthusiastically while the other members seemed rather hesitant._

"_Hmm... well I guess if the principal says so, I guess it wouldn't hurt," said Azuma as he brushed back his long violet hair._

_Len scowled. "I'm not spending a week there," he countered with disgust as he began to leave the room._

"_Is that your reason, Tsukimori? The way I see it, I think our bocchama here will be unuseful either way, seeing that he has never done any real work before," Ryotaro challenged._

_Len paused mid-way. The two 2nd years exchanged icy glances as Ryotaro's words struck a nerve. "And you think you'll be able to get anything done? From what I see, you'll be shattering the plates instead of serving them," he countered._

_Ryotaro's eyes narrowed. "Is that so? Let's see you back those words up, or are you scared, music-student-sama?" he said with a sarcasm-coated tone._

_Kahoko stepped in between the two of them. "U-um, wouldn't it be better if we all went?" she said with a nervous smile._

_Len ignored her as he spun around to face the sensei. "Kanazawa-sensei, I changed my mind; I'll also be going," he said cooly._

_Kanazawa gave a nod and then directed his gaze to the two first year students. "Now then, you two wouldn't disappoint me by not going, would you?" he said seriously as he loomed over them._

_Shouko and Keiichi both shook their heads immediately while everyone else sweatdropped. Kanazawa smiled. "Well then, I take it that you're all going. A hotel nearby the cafe already has been reserved for the 7 of you. You're all dismissed to pack your belongings,"_

_End of Flashback_

* * *

"Kaho-sempai," a soft voice called out.

Kahoko turned around as she tied up her hair into a ponytail. Her eyes widened as her mind screamed out '_She's so cute!!_' Shouko's face was rather red as she stepped out of her stall in the dressing room. She wore a slightly-above-knee-length light pink skirt and a sky blue spaghetti top while placing on her blue apron. "C-could you help me tie the back please?" she asked as she held up the ends.

Kahoko nodded. "Of course!" she said as she helped her junior. "You look great, Fuyuumi-chan,"

Shouko blushed in embarrassment. "T-thank you," she said with a shy smile.

The two girls met up with the others in the backroom while the cafe manger was giving out instructions. "Like in any restaurant, your job here, as waiters and waitresses is to please the customer, but also don't forget, don't spend too much time interacting with them if there are others waiting to be served," he said. "Other than that, anything goes,"

"The positions that need to be covered are the dishwasher, waiters and waitresses. So please divide amongst yourselves who will do what," he added as he then looked around. "There was supposed to be another boy, a regular time worker, but then again, he does have a knack to be la-"

"Aoi Kaji is _HERE_!" a male voice announced.

Every head turned to the new guy as a tall blond guy stepped into the room. "Kaji! You're late! You were supposed to be here half an hour ago!" the manager complained.

The guy, Aoi, grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, slept in... Who are these guys?" he asked as he finally took notice that there were others in the room with the cafe uniform.

The manager sighed tiredly as he shook his head in disbelief. "I thought I told you _the other day_. These students here are from Seishou Academy and they will be here for the week. I asked you to come here earlier today so that you could help them familiarize themselves with the restaurant, but _someone _was late," he said.

Aoi ignored what he was saying as he blinked. "Seishou Academy?" he repeated as he took a better look at the 7 members of the concours.

His spring green eyes widened with unexpectedness. Immediately, he brushed past his boss and the other participants of the concours and stood in front of none other than Kahoko Hino. "Are you Hino-san?" Aoi asked with amazement in his voice.

Kahoko blinked. _How does he know my name?_ "U-um.. yes?" she replied.

Aoi's face brightened visually. "Amazing! What a coincidence!!" he said excitedly.

Then without warning, he took her hand and placed a small kiss upon it. "I'm so happy to be working alongside you," he added.

Kahoko, out of sheer surprise, screamed as she stepped away from him. While everyone else stared in shock, Ryotaro was the first to recover. He stepped out, grabbing Aoi's shoulder. "Just what do you think you're doing?" he demanded as a surprised Aoi faced him.

"Oh," said Aoi as he studied Ryotaro's features carefully. "Are you her boyfriend?"

Immediately Ryotaro released Aoi as though he had been burnt. "B-boyfriend? W-what?!" he stammered as a blush crept onto his face.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, the manager decided it was time to step in. "Okay now, the restaurant will be opening shortly, so I suggest you all get to your places," he said.

Shouko went over to her senior's side to help her up. "Kaho-sempai... are you okay?" she asked softly.

Kahoko's gaping mouth closed as she slowly recovered. "A-ah.. yeah, I'm fine, thank you, Fuyuumi-chan," she said as she steadied herself.

"Well, I guess it's best if we now divided the jobs amongst us," said Azuma as he looked at the other 7. "Kaji-san, what is your regular position here?"

"I'm a waiter here, but I don't mind if I change positions," said Aoi with a boyish smile.

Azuma nodded. "Manager-san said that the place becomes rather busy quickly, so I guess it'd be best if there were four waiters out there while the other four can stay in the back. Later on, we can switch so that the four in the front can go in the back. Does that sound good?" he suggested.

No one else had an idea, so everyone agreed. "Well, then, the four of you can go out first and then switch later with the four of us," Azuma decided as he nodded to Kahoko, Aoi, Len and Tsuchiura.

"Are you guys okay with working in the back?" Kahoko asked as she looked at the two first years and the two third years.

"No problem, it shouldn't be too hard," said Kazuki with his usual smile. "We should get into positions now,"

Everyone left to either go into the back or into the front. "If you look closely at each side of the tables here, you'll see a number on it. So whenever you take orders, you should always remember the number of the table or else the food gets delivered to the wrong table," Aoi explained. "That's basically it,"

Shortly after his explanations, the cafe was open and within a few minutes, numerous customers came in. "A table for 3 please," one girl asked Ryotaro.

Ryotaro blinked as he realized he was being called upon. "U-uh yeah! Over here.." he said as he then directed them to a medium empty table.

With many customers needed to be waited on, it was a lot harder than Kahoko had originally thought. _Wow.. this place is so busy; there's no moment for a break!_ She thought to herself as she saw that more customers wanted to place their orders. "Hi, are you ready to order?" she asked politely.

It was a teenage guy and girl. _Probably a date.._ Kahoko thought as she saw the guy let the girl choose first. "Um, I'd like some takoyaki with a green tea smoothie," she said.

Kahoko nodded as she quickly jotted it down on the notepad that was given to her earlier. "Just lemon tea for me, thanks," said the guy.

"Alright, they'll be here in a moment," said Kahoko as she went to the counter.

"Here, Hihara-sempai... two drinks and a takoyaki snack," said Kahoko as she passed on the order to Kazuki.

Kazuki grinned. "Thanks Kaho-chan," he said before moving quickly to make the drinks.

As Kahoko waited near the counter for the order to be done, she noticed that the majority of the girls were talking excitedly amongst themselves as they kept stealing glances at the male waiters that we here. "That tall one with blond hair looks so cool!" said one of them.

"I know, right! I've seen him here before, but those two other guys are new, but just as hot. Look that that one, with the blue hair, doesn't he look incredibly awesome?" another said as she looked at Len with dreamy eyes.

"Yeah, they all look great with those uniforms!"

Kahoko's eyes drifted over to the guys who were busy serving the other customers. _Tsuchiura-kun looks like he's used to doing this type of work, while Tsukimori-kun on the other hand looks slightly out of place._ She thought with a small smile. _These uniforms are very nice indeed, but they look even better on the guys. Especially Tsukimori-kun, since I would never expect him to wear such clothing._

The guys didn't wear a t-shirt so their backs were bare with a black apron covering the front. For each of them, they chose to wear board shorts with different colors. Aoi Kaji looked very natural in his uniform with navy blue board shorts as he also added a bandana and a wristband. His back was also quite muscular like Ryotaro's signifying that he was also an athlete.

As Kahoko's thoughts turned over to the new guy, a blush crept upon her cheeks as she remembered the incident earlier. _I wonder how he knew my name? I'm pretty sure that I have never met him before..._ Just then a familar voice broke Kahoko's thoughts. "Here you go, Kaho-chan! Takoyaki and the two dr- Are you okay?" Kazuki asked concerned.

"H-huh? O-oh, yeah.. I'm fine. Thanks, Hihara-sempai," said Kahoko as she quickly took the tray as went off in the direction of the tables.

_How embarrassing! I wondered what my face looked like to Hihara-sempai... Snap out of it, you're at work now, Kaho!_ Kahoko told herself. Then without looking where she was walking, Kahoko stepped onto a puddle of half-melted ice and slipped, resulting a shattering of glass to be heard. "Oww..." Kahoko winced at the pain she felt in her fingers as she realized that she had stupidly placed her hands over the shattered glass.

"Hino!" many voices called out in concern as they saw her fall.

Kahoko looked at her hand, which blood ran down her fingers like a red river. Suddenly someone grabbed her hand firmly. "Let me see!" a cool voice said in something that sounded like concern.

Kahoko looked up to meet yellow-sapphire-like yes that looked at her worriedly. "Tsukimori-kun?" she said in surprise.

"I'll take her to the back to fix her injuries," he called out to the others.

Kahoko's mind was a blur as Len gracefully helped her up and quickly brought her to the backroom. He brought her over to a chair as he whipped out the first-aid kit that sat on the shelf. He quickly took off the apron as it was getting in the way and threw it onto the table beside them.

He propped open the first-aid kit and took out some cotton balls. With a tweezer, he dabbed them gently against Kahoko's wounds, soaking up the blood. Len sighed, "I thought I told you to take better care of yourself," he said.

Kahoko's face turned red as she looked at Len, who was kneeling before her. "S-sorry... I-i was careless," she said.

"Seriously, how many times must I tell you that your fingers are important for playing the violin?" he murmured as he threw the red cotton balls away and was now taking out the antiseptic.

Kahoko remained quiet as Len dipped another cotton ball into the green liquid before dabbing them lightly against her fingers. She flinched as the pain of the antiseptic shot up her fingers. Len's yellow-sapphire-like eyes noticed her every movement as he apologized, "Sorry,"

Gently, he took her hand with his left and continued to dab the cotton ball against her fingers, cleaning away any bacteria. _This feels like deja vu..._ Kahoko thought as her heart was beating wildly. Finally it was done as Tsukimori took out several bandages and bandaged her fingers gently. "T-thank you, Tsukimori-kun," Kahoko said softly as she touched her bandaged hand gently.

Len's eyes met hers as he gave a nod before standing up and placing the first-aid kit back onto the shelf. He wore his abandonned apron and turned for the door. But before heading out, he turned to look at Kahoko once more. "When you are ready, come back out," he said before going.

Kahoko nodded as her heart felt as though it was about to burst. She placed her unwounded hand against her cheek as she felt that her cheek was extremely hot. Glancing at the mirror nearby, her face was nearly as red as her hair. _Why is my heart beating so fast? Tsukimori-kun's voice, his gentle touch... I felt as though I wanted the time to stop. I don't understand... my mind is a blur._ Kahoko thought as she looked at Len's handiwork. She brought her wounded hand up to her heart.

_Tsukimori-kun..._

* * *

**A/N: Well, what did you think? I pulled some stuff from the series out, like that last event up there in this chapter, hope y'all didn't mind. Please tell me what you think and your opinions! Thanks!  
**


	2. 2nd Measure

**A/N: Wow! I was really happy to get so many positive reviews on my first chapter! Thanks so much! It made me really happy, so I had to get this chapter done before another week passed. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own La Corda d'Oro**

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**Chapter 2: 2nd Measure**

"I can't believe today was so tiring! I can just fall asleep on my feet at any moment," Kahoko commented as the ex-participants of the concours made their way to their hotel.

Ryotaro scratched his head. "I agree, who knew it'd be this much work? I just want to sit down!" he added.

"Oh c'mon you guys, it wasn't too hard. Besides, we get to stay at a luxurious hotel, don't we? It has a spa, a swimming pool and even a weight room!" Kazuki said enthusiastically as the other 6 wondered where he stored his energy.

Azuma smiled. "It's nice that you have so much energy left, but I think it'd be best if we all rested for a while before doing anything else," he said gently.

Everyone agreed. Ryotaro sighed. "Besides that, who knew Kanazawa would be able to get a reservation on this place, not to mention our rooms," he said. "It's not like the guy is _that_ generous,"

Kazuki shrugged. "Good point there, I mean Kanayan made a fuss when I had won that bet back there in the second part of the concours. But oh well; we only have a week to enjoy, so I say we do that," he said.

Kahoko looked from one of the ex-participants to the other. _Well everyone with the exception of Tsuchiura-kun, Hihara-senpai and Shimizu-kun are accustomed to live in fine places like this, so I guess it wouldn't hurt to live in luxury for a small while._ She thought as a small smile came upon her face. As they entered the resort, they had a surprise waiting for them in the lobby. _FLASH!_ The seven members of the concours were momentarily blinded by a bright light. "Kaho! Shouko!" a familiar voice called out excitedly as they were greeted by a blond girl.

Kahoko blinked several times. "A-amou-san? What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise.

Nami broke out into a wide grin as she faced the 7 members. "Even though it took the majority of the day, I managed to convince both Kanazawa-sensei and the principal to let me join you guys for the sake of my journalism club," she explained. "I'll be taking pictures of you guys at work but also what you guys will do in you free time,"

A groan could be heard from a certain tall-green haired 2nd year. "_More_ snooping around? Can't we ever get peace?" he demanded as he looked at her in annoyance.

Nami shook her head, resulting her blond curls to swing from one side to another. "Of course not, Tsuchiura-kun. While _I'm_ around, I'll make sure you'll never get a moment of peace," she said proudly as she raised her beloved camera.

Len sighed as he continued to move forward. "Just don't get in my way," he warned as he headed for the elevator.

Nami crossed her arms as she narrowed her eyes after his retreating figure. "That guy is as unsociable as always! You'd think that while on a break, he would come out of that icy barrier, ne?" she said with annoyance in her voice.

"That's what we have to deal with everyday," came the dry voice of Ryotaro as he scratched his head.

Kahoko smiled nervously as she turned to face the others. "It's getting rather late, I think it'd be best if we go rest since we have to get up early tomorrow as well," she advised as the others nodded in agreement.

The girls and the boys parted ways as they headed to their rooms. "I-is Amou-san staying with us?" Shouoko asked as they stepped out of the elevator and onto their floor.

Nami gave an apologetic smile as she faced the other two girls. "Sorry to intrude without warning," she said while Kahoko and Shouko both shook their heads immediately.

"No! It'll be fun with more people, right Fuyuumi-chan?" Kahoko replied while Shouko nodded several times.

Nami grinned. "Thanks you two,"

The rooms were quite grand, being in a resort and all and fortuantely supplied two beds and a futton. There was a brief arguement over who would take the futon but in the end, Nami was able to convince the other two that since she was intruding, she should be the one taking the futon. Kahoko smiled gently as the other two quickly fell asleep after lying down. Herself, however, as tired as she may be, couldn't sleep.

With the only place where the light shown naturally, Kahoko quietly stepped out onto the small balcony to enjoy the cool summer breeze. Brushing some hair back, Kahoko leaned on the railing as she looked down at the gardens below. They were extremely beautiful whether it was day or night. At night it had a rather special yet romantic air to it, since small lanterns were lit along the path ways. There was a nice patio up ahead and also.. Len?

Kahoko blinked as she leaned forward for a closer look. _What is he doing at this time of night? I thought he was already in his room with the other guys._ But strangest of all was that Len was not alone. There was a girl in a fashionable summer dress speaking with him. As Kahoko strained to hear, she could just make out what they were saying. "Congratulations on winning the final selection," the girl said with a smile.

_I don't remember seeing this girl in our school; not gen-ed nor music... How does she know about the concours?_ Kahoko thought silently. "Thank you very much," Len said in his usual voice. "Is that what you called me out for?"

The girl shook her head. "Well, that and... my father is hosting a ball here at the end of the week and I was wondering if Len could do a duet with me," she said.

Kahoko's face took on the expression of surprise. _She called Tsukimori-kun by his first name without a honorific... who is she?_ She thought as she placed her hand over her mouth but still looked at the pair down below with the corner of her eyes.

Len sighed audibly. "Miyaji, I do not think that I am suitable to be your partner. It would be better if you played with someone else," he replied coolly.

The girl, Miyaji shook her head. "No, you see, my father thinks highly of you and your skills. I do as well! We've known each for so long, so won't you please reconsider?" she pleaded as she took Len's hand.

Len closed his eyes as the moon light lit his handsome features. When he opened them, it looked as though he was quite tired. "Alright," he said finally as Kahoko's eyes widened.

Miyaji's happiness was evident on her face as she went up and pecked Len swiftly on his right cheek. "Thanks Len, I'll be waiting," she said as she left.

Len stood emotionless as he turned around. For a moment, Len's eyes drifted to the balcony where Kahoko stood, making her duck immediately. Kahoko carefully looked back to that same spot with the corner of her eyes to see that Len was no longer there. _Thank god... It seems that he didn't see me. Wait, why am I hiding?_ Kahoko asked herself as she placed the palm of her hand against her forehead, her fingers brushing against her hair.

Her heart was beating quite rapidly, but instead of that feeling earlier in the day, it was beating heavily against her chest. "What do I do?" Kahoko whispered while only the sound of crickets could be heard replying back.

"Kaho-chan,"

"Kaho-chan!" called the same voice louder.

Kahoko turned around, just realizing that someone had been calling her name. "H-hihara-senpai?" she questioned as she said her worried senpai looking at her with concern. "What's wrong?"

Kazuki frowned visibly. "That's what I should ask you, Kaho-chan. You've been spacing out for a while. Is there anything wrong?" he asked.

Kahoko shook her head as she smiled uncomfortably. "N-no.. I was just thinking about some stuff. Sorry to have worried about you," she denied as she waved her hands.

Her senpai looked disbelieving at her when all of a sudden, a hand held Kahoko's face gently and turned her face to the side. "K-kaji-k-kun?" Kahoko blurted out in surprise as the taller guy inspected her eyes carefully.

"I'm sure you're lying, look at those bags.. c'mon, can't you tell us what's wrong?" Aoi asked as he brushed his thumbs near her eyelashes.

Kahoko stepped back, breaking contact with Aoi and faced the two males standing before her. "Thanks for worrying about me, but there are some things that I should solve for myself right?" she said with a small smile.

Aoi and Kazuki exchanged glances as the girl went off to help out in the back. "Something's wrong, it's not like her," Kazuki said worriedly.

Aoi rubbed his head. "Well, if she wants to tell us, she will. If she doesn't want to talk about it, then we should leave her alone," he suggested while Kazuki sighed.

"I guess you're right,"

_I can't get what happened yesterday out of my head. Should I ask Tsukimori-kun about it?_ She wondered. _No! Baka! I can't do that; Tsukimori-kun will be angry if he found out that was I eavesdropping on him even though it was unintentional. What do I do..?_ As she slipped into the kitchen, coincidentally, the first person she saw was the other violinist. "Hino?" he questioned as he saw her enter.

Blinking several times before averting her eyes to the ground, Kahoko walked past him and towards her work counter. _I can't look at him directly..._ Kahoko quickly fixed up whatever drinks that were ordered and placed them on the counter. "The drinks are ready," she called out.

Before anyone came to get them, Kahoko disappeared into the kitchen again and sighed. "Oi, Hino. What's with that sigh?" a voice called out.

Kahoko turned her head to see the tall pianist. "Tsuchiura-kun..." she said softly.

Ryotaro placed several dishes onto the counter as he looked at her. "Something on your mind?" he asked as he wiped his hands on a clean cloth.

When Kahoko didn't reply, Ryotaro turned to face her. "Like I said before, if there's anything bothering you, you can come to me to talk about it," he said as he leaned against the counter. "Talking about it might make you feel better,"

Kahoko sighed. _I guess I can't really keep holding it in..._ "W-well... um, a friend of mine has a dilemma that she can't get out of," she lied.

Ryotaro blinked. "Friend of yours? You mean one of those girls that you're usually with in the Gen-Ed section at school?" he asked.

"Y-yeah, Mio," Kahoko lied. _Sorry Mio, I'm using you for this!_

"Well what about this dilemma? Why is affecting you?" Ryotaro asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kahoko smiled uncomfortably as she thought that she needed to word her words carefully. "Mio is a good friend of mine, so I don't want to see her troubled," she explained.

"Go on,"

"U-um, she saw a friend of hers with a girl she didn't know. That girl seemed rather close to him, calling him by his first name and all, which made Mio rather uncomfortable. S-so, she wants to ask him about it but is afraid that he'll be mad at her for spying on him," Kahoko said quietly as her gaze drifted to Len, who wasn't too far away.

Ryotaro blinked. "That's it? _That_ is her dilemma?" he said with disbelief. "I thought it would be something bigger than that to be bothering you as well,"

"Well, do you have a solution?" Kahoko asked, almost desperately.

Ryotaro rubbed his head with the palm of his hand as his gaze drifted upwards. "Well I don't know this friend of yours well enough, but I'd say it'd be best for her to go talk to that guy about what she had seen. It's better than worrying about it, right?" he suggested. "She can't really help being at the scene when that happened, so if he's a good person, he wouldn't be too frustrated about it,"

Kahoko smile froze as she imagined herself confronting the cool Len. _"Tsukimori-kun, last night, I saw you with another girl. May I ask who she is?" Kahoko asked._

_Len's icy gaze met hers. "It's none of your business. Eavesdropping on other peoples' conversations is not taken kindly upon," he said._

Kahoko shook her head at the thought. _No, that'll make it even worse! I don't want him to hate me like he did in the beginning, after all, it took a lot of considerable time to even make him crack a smile._ "Hino?" Ryotaro called out as he looked at her strangely.

"A-ah well, I'll let Mio know what you said and h-hopefully things will work out for her," Kahoko lied with a nervous smile.

As Ryotaro was about to say something, Len interrupted the two, "Do you mind? You're in my way," he said coldly as he stood in front of the two.

"Sorry, T-tsukimori-kun,"

The two stepped aside as Len reached for the blender. He poured several tropical fruits and quickly made a milkshake. "Hmm... not bad, it seems like you actually know how to use electrical appliances in the kitchen now, eh, Tsukimori?" Ryotaro smirked.

Len gave the green-haired male an icy look. Before any more words could be exchanged, Kazuki's head popped in the kitchen. "Len! There's a cute girl asking for you," he called out.

There was the usual sigh as Len went out of the kitchen with Kazuki. "This I have got to see," said Ryotaro with a grin as he headed out after them.

A small frown appeared on Kahoko's face as she went after them as well. As she stepped into the public area of the cafe, she could hear a familiar cool voice saying, "I'm busy, go home,"

Kahoko blinked as she saw the same girl from yesterday night standing in front of her. "Oh c'mon Len, don't be so cold; I came to see how you were doing. You looked rather tired yesterday, so I was worried," said Miyaji.

Len looked rather exasperated. "I am fine, so please don't bother me at work," he replied.

"Tsukimori-san, you shouldn't be so mean towards girls, you know?" said another voice from behind.

Everyone turned as they saw a smiling Aoi coming from the back. "Ah! Kaji-kun, long time no see," said Miyaji.

Aoi nodded in return. "I agree, it's been a while, Miyaji-san," he replied. "Would you like anything to drink?"

Miyaji shook her head. "No thanks, I'm fine. I was at the beach when I stopped by," she explained as she turned back to Len. "Well that's good, as long as you are okay. I'll see you later then,"

As she left the cafe, Ryotaro raised his eyebrows. "What was that about?" he wondered out loud.

"Kaji-kun, how did you know her?" Kahoko asked as she faced the blond.

Aoi smiled. "Miyaji-san goes to my school, Fujijo Gakuen. She's also in our year as well. At our school, Miyaji-san is famous for violin playing, though of course, I love your violin playing even more, Hino-san," he explained.

"Violin playing?" Kahoko repeated softly.

"Ah, yes, now I remember," said Azuma who was a few steps behind Kahoko. "Her father owns a chain of resorts around here and was also once in a very high position in Tsukimori-san's father's music company, right?"

Len ignored them as he headed in the direction of the kitchen. "I guess that's how those two know each other," Kazuki remarked.

* * *

_In the evening, back at the hotel:_ Kahoko decided that since it was still light out, she would practice her violin on the empty beach. _I'm sure glad that I brought my violin with me, since everyone else seemed to have brought their instruments with them as well. Besides, even though the concours is over, I wouldn't mind if practicing would have my skills improve, if by just a little._ Kahoko thought as she got off the elevator and stepped into the lobby. There, a soft sound could be heard.

Kahoko blinked. _A violin?_ Being drawn in like a fly to a venus-fly trap, the music was soft and angelic, sounding like the player had years and years of experience. As Kahoko approached, she realized that the music was from a cd playing in the lobby. She then approached the clerk who was behind the counter. "Excuse me, but may I ask who is the violinist on that cd?" Kahoko asked.

The clerk looked rather surprised but smiled at her. "Such a gentle sound, isn't it?" he said. "The violinist has been playing ever since she was very young,"

"She?" Kahoko repeated.

The clerk nodded. "Yep, the daughter of the man who owns this resort and many others; Miyaji," he told her. "She is quite famous around here for her gentle nature and playing,"

_Incredible... she's level with Tsukimori-kun. So far there hasn't been anyone in our age group who could rival his skills. _Kahoko thought rather sadly as she tightened the hold on her violin case. "Thank you," she said to the clerk before exiting the resort and headed down to the beach below.

The cafe only needed helpers during the day and not during the evenings, so that left Kahoko and the others to spend their evenings in luxury. It was still quite some time before the sun was about to set, so Kahoko took out her violin and began to play.

_Schubert's Ave Maria... the first piece that made me acknowledge the beauty of the violin and its sound..._ Kahoko thought as she moved her bow up and down. _The piece that Tsukimori-kun played during our second encounter. _As she thought back to the events that happened earlier in the day at the cafe, the encounter with Miyaji, Kahoko's left hand clenched unconsciously as she felt a pang in her heart. _I've tried so hard to play like Tsukimori-kun, why can't I move any closer to where he is?_

_Why is the distance between the two of us so far? Is it because they've played since they were little while I started not so long ago? _Kahoko's music became rougher as her thoughts blinded her from her violin. "Hino," a familiar voice called out.

Kahoko paused in her bowing as she already knew who it was without turning her head. It was the guy who filled the majority of her thoughts. "Tsukimori-kun," she said softly.

The blue haired male stepped down onto the soft sand to stand behind her as his facial expression was unreadable. "What was with that playing? Your left hand was applying too much pressure on the strings while your bow was not parallel to the bridge," he said.

Kahoko lowered her violin, so that it now hung loosely from her grip down at her side. She turned to face him so that her eyes met his. "M-my mind was elsewhere," she explained as her gaze drifted away from his.

Len frowned visibly. "I can see that. Your mind was elsewhere during today as well," he said quietly. "Do you think that even though the concours is over, you can slack off?"

"No! I'm not slacking off! I-it's just that I'm not in the mood to play today," Kahoko argued.

There was no reply as Len stepped closer to the shore. "Look at the horizon," he murmured.

Kahoko raised her head as she looked at him strangely. "What about it?" she questioned.

The cool breeze blew past the two of them as Len looked rather peaceful as he looked at the setting sun. "If you are worried about something, look at the sunset and forget about them, even if it is just for a moment," Len said quietly as he placed his hands in his pockets.

Kahoko blinked as she looked at the horizon, which just 1/3 of the sun was remaining. Pink, orange yellow and even bits of purple blended into each other. The part where the sun was touching the ocean glowed, making the ocean look like a sea of gold. It was rather soothing as seagulls flew, calling to each other and perching on the cliffs nearby. The waves gently washed upon the shore, ticking her bare feet. Kahoko was able to finally relax; the first time during the day.

It lasted only a few moments, though as Kahoko's mind was now empty, it was good enough. As the last bit of the sun was gone, Len turned for the direction of the resort. "Let's go," he said coolly.

_No matter how good Tsukimori-kun and Miyaji-san are, I'll try even harder to reach them with my own way. Even if it was impossible for someone like me, it is better to have tried than to have never tried at all would be what Lili would say if he was still here. _A small smile lit Kahoko's face as she thought back to her little music guardian. Len's retreating figure stopped moving as he waited for her at the top of the steps which led down to the beach. His facials expression read that he was waiting for her to move from that spot. Kahoko's smile widened as she took her sandals and went after him.

"Coming!"

* * *

**A/N: Hope the ending was okay. I like ending chapters with peaceful events, though I'm not sure whether they are realistic. I don't know Miyaji's first name, since not a lot of info is known about her at the moment. Also I don't know her real personality, so I gave her one. She'll probably be a lot different in the manga, but I hope you don't mind. There wasn't a whole lot of LenxKaho moments here and that reason was because Kaho felt rather uncomfortable around him since she accidentally listened on his conversation with Miyaji early in the chapter. I also decided to make Miyaji Len's childhood friend and to-be Kaho's rival since we can all agree she really needs one. Anyway, hope you liked it and don't be afraid to criticize me in any parts where you didn't like.  
**


	3. 3rd Measure

**A/N: Hi everyone, I really have no excuse for why I haven't updated this for the past year... I'm such a bad author! ;o; I lost the feel for this fic for a while, so thus, I couldn't come up with anything to continue for a while. I apologize for the inconvience that I might brought to anyone. Anyway, I still hope that you enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own La Corda nor its characters.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 3: 3rd Measure**

A young teenaged girl could be heard humming Schubert's Ave Maria rather happily as she stepped into the room in which she shared with her room mates. _Watching the sunset with Tsukimori-kun was surprisingly peaceful._ Kahoko thought as she smiled to herself. As soon as she closed the door behind her, Kahoko was greeted by a grinning reporter. "_Kaho!_" she called out rather slyly.

The happy and carefree smile slid off Kahoko's face as she knew that Nami was already up to something with that wide grin of hers. Kahoko backed away. "W-what is it, Amou-san?" she stammered.

Nami's grin widened as she took her arm and brought the nervous girl deeper into the room, where another girl was looking at the two rather curiously. "Guess who I saw standing beside you down at the beach?" Nami said in a sing-song-like tone.

Kahoko froze on the spot as a hint of a blush started to color her cheeks. "I-it's not what you think!" she blurted out.

Nami raised an eyebrow. "And _what_ do you think that I thought, Kaho?" she said teasingly.

Kahoko couldn't get the words fully out of her mouth so instead, she decided to avoid her question. A violin case was suddenly shoved into Nami's face. "I-i was down there practicing my violin when he showed up coincidentally when the sun was about to set. It's nothing like you're thinking," Kahoko explained as she placed her violin case down gently to the side.

Unconvinced, Nami wasn't satisfied. "Hmm, so that's all? So Tsukimori-kun doesn't have the hots for you?" she said as my face burned brightly.

"O-of course not! No way that'd happen!" Kahoko countered as her face was on fire. "Don't think such things, Amou-san!"

Nami sat herself onto the futon that laid on the ground. "That's too bad, Kaho. I think you'd make a wonderful couple, right Shouko?" she said as she looked to the younger girl who held a pillow on her lap.

Shouko nodded as she hugged her pillow while sitting on the bed. "Yes.. I think Kaho-senpai and Tsukimori-senpai look good together,"she said with a cute smile.

Kahoko looked at them as if they all grew two heads. "You can't be serious, I mean the only times we ever talk are when I'm being scolded for playing so horribly," she argued.

"If you say so,"

Kahoko rolled her eyes as she ignored her and escaped into the bathroom. After putting up her hair so that it wouldn't get wet, Kahoko climbed into the near-full tub to relax. She titled her head back so that it rested against the wall as she thought over what Nami had said. _Tsukimori-kun and I? N-no way!_ Kahoko thought as she scooped up a handful of water with her hands and watching it slip between her fingers.

As she thought back to the moment on the beach, her face became hot again as Kahoko remembered glancing at Len with the corner of her eye, seeing him basked in sunlight from the side, looking very much like a god. _I didn't know what I was thinking at that time, but all I could recall was that I couldn't pull my eyes away from him._ Kahoko sighed as she slid down a tad bit so that the warm water was now at mouth-level and blew bubbles.

"_So Tsukimori doesn't have the hots for you?"_ _Amou-san had said._

_I've never gave a thought about it before, since I was always quite concentrated on my violin and trying to improve my skills so that it wouldn't be as far of a distance than I already was from Tsukimori-kun._ But... hypothetically speaking, what _would_ she do if he did like her? Kahoko paused with the bubble-blowing as her mind became puzzled over that matter. _How would I react? W-would I turn him down?_ She asked herself as she brought her knees in closer.

_Even if I was the last person on Earth, there would be no possible way for Tsukimori-kun to end up with someone like me, so I shouldn't be thinking too much about this matter just because Amou-san brought it up._ As Kahoko got into her pajamas, the thought of why she thought about his side of the story more than hers never came to her.

_

* * *

In the early morning.._ As the sun lit through the blinds upon three sleeping figures, the only one, who was facing the window was woken gently by the light coming through her eyelids. Kahoko sleepily opened one eye, then winced at the sudden light so she brought her arm to cover her eyes. _Morning already.._ Kahoko thought half-awake as she rubbed her eyes with her hands before sitting up. She glanced at the radio-clock which laid beside her, saying that it was 6 am and that she was woken an hour earlier than she originally planned.

_Oh well... I had to get up at some point anyway, right?_ Kahoko thought to herself as she groggily made her way to the bathroom to wash her face. Upon her return, careful not to wake her companions, Kahoko quietly stepped onto the balcony and was greeted with a gust of wind blowing quite strongly. Night time and day time were very different; it seemed as though everyone was basked in light while the night time had an air of mysteriousness. _It's quite peaceful._

As Kahoko listened carefully, she could make out a familar sound coming from the east side. Turning her head towards the beach, Kahoko could make out a figure standing on the grassy hill facing the beach. _Is that Hihara-senpai? He's up already?_

_Scene change.._ "Hey, that sounded really good just now! I'll play it from the top again," said an energetic male as he brought his trumpet up against his lips for an encore when he noticed a shadow standing behind him.

Turning around, his eyes blinked in surprise as he saw a familar face. "K-kaho-chan?" he questioned.

Kahoko smiled. "Good morning, Hihara-senpai. Working hard so early already?" she asked as she moved forward to stand closer to her upperclassman.

Kazuki returned her smile. "Nah, I like to get up early, since sleeping is so boring. Playing the trumpet is really refreshing in the morning," he said as he looked down at his instrument with a loving gaze.

"Is that so? I should try that sometime," Kahoko replied as she looked out to the beach.

Kazuki smile froze as he appeared to have just suddenly realized something. "Oh no! I better head back to wake the other guys up before we're late for our job today!" he cried out. "Sorry Kaho-chan! Gotta run!"

Kahoko waved awkwardly at her senpai who took off into the distance, running up the path back to the hotel. _Well, I guess some things never change.._

It was quite a busy morning as many customers took their turns coming to the cafe. "Sorry Kaho-chan, but can you get table seven please?" Kazuki called out apologetically as he headed towards the kitchen with a handful of dishes.

"Sure! No problem!"

It had been like that all morning, the students of Seiso Academy had no time to rest with going back and forth. Finally Kahoko glanced at the clock after it had been several hours. She smiled as it was now her break and talk about time. She headed back to the kitchen with some dishes and placed them beside Shouko, who was washing the dishes. "Okay, I'm on my break now," Kahoko announced to the staff that was in the kitchen.

Ryotaro noddedas he was preparing an egg omelet. "Sure, come back soon so I can take my turn," he said good humorly.

Kahoko escaped through the back door of the café and down the path that led into the small forest that was behind the café. She stretched her arms as she felt a tinge of soreness go through them. _Jeez...working is quite a bit of work.. It's been only a few days and yet I feel that it's been a week that passed._ Kahoko thought as she turned her head side to side to loosen up the muscles in her neck.

As she wandered further away from the café and closer to the back of the resort, Kahoko suddenly stopped as she heard a faint, yet melodic sound go through the air. Kahoko blinked. _A violin?_ She wondered as she aprroached the direction of the sound. Kahoko closed her eyes as she continued down the path as though she was captured in the sound. The melody was smooth, yet warm, as though one was trapped in a sweet dream. The playing of the piece was completely flawless, as the players fingers moved skillfully up and down the fingerboard. Emotions of the playet were clearly heard as Kahoko walked on.

_It's very well played... I can clearly hear the tone of each note perfectly. As though Tsukimori-kun himself was playing..._Kahoko thought as the blue-haired boy appeared in her mind with his familiar way of playing. _However, it can't be him.. not only is he still at the café, but also, his way of music isn't like this. _As Kahoko unconsciously came up the patio near the resort, the playing suddenly stopped. Kahoko's eyes widened as she realized that the player had stopped playing.

What was even more surprising was the violinist. Kahoko swallowed nervously as she looked at the violinist who looked at her curiously. It was that girl that Kahoko had seen the other day, who had been looking for Len. Miyaji lowered her violin. "Excuse me, but can I help you?" she asked as Kahoko's face reddened in embarassment.

Kahoko waved her hands frantically. "N-no! I-i was just... wandering around when I heard a violin and came towards the sound," she explained. "You play beautifully,"

Miyaji looked a little surprised that a stranger whom she had never spoken to had complimented her on her playing. She smiled nevertheless. "Thank you very much," she said.

Kahoko blinked as she looked at Miyaji top to bottom. She was dressed rather neatly in a casual summer dress. Her voice was plesant to hear, gentle, polite yet melodic at the same time. _Wow, she's the perfect example of the daughter of a rich man._ Kahoko thought. _That violin seems to be rather expensive._ "Sorry for intruding, but may I ask you something?" Miyaji asked, breaking Kahoko's train of thought.

"Um, sure," Kahoko replied uncertainly, surprised that the girl would start a conversation with her.

Miyaji looked a little hesitant, but seeing that she was the one who started this conversation, she continued. "Are you a friend of Len's? The other day at the café.. I thought there was someone there who ressembled you," she said.

Taken off guard, Kahoko found that she was unable to reply for a fraction of a second. Sure she heard this girl call Len by his first name before, but up close, Kahoko felt rather anxious, though she didn't know why. Did Len think of her as a friend? ...or did he think she was merely an acquaintance? Kahoko swallowed. "Well, T-tsukimori-kun's a friend of mine, I guess you can say that.. though I'm not sure whether he considers me a friend. But yes, I work at the café at the moment," she answered.

Miyaji seemed to think this over for a second before asking, "May I ask... if you are Hino Kahoko-san?"

Kahoko blinked. She had never spoken to this girl before, so how did she know of her name? This girl was full of surprises. "Y-yes, I am... but how did you know?" she asked.

Miyaji smiled lightly at Kahoko's curiosity. "I've often heard about you from Len," Miyaji replied to Kahoko's surprise.

_From Tsukimori-kun? _"I'm glad that Len has friends now, he's been lonely ever since we were children, though he never once spoken about his situation," Miyaji said sadly. "Being the way he is, people tend to stay away from him. He doesn't tell people what he is thinking, so it usually turns out that they misunderstand his intentions, thinking that he is blunt and unapprochable,"

Kahoko thought back to the first few encounters she had had with the violinist, meeting with him in the practice room, where he had commented how her playing of the violin was not stage-worthy. Her first thought had been that he was cold and uncaring, paying attention to no one but himself. But even though that aspect of his never really changed, he had become kinder and gentler in his actions and his speech.

"But.. I think that the passion he has for the violin is something that not everyone has," Kahoko spoke as she remembered the scene where Len performed on that stage alone without an audience at the end of the second selection.

He was playing as though he was in another world, the sound of his bow crossing his strings echoed off the walls and her heart. It was impossible to stand on the same level as he was, especially with the fact that she had been playing the violin due to its magic and not by just effort. Kahoko had wanted to be someone that Len could acknowledge.

Miyaji nodded her head in agreement. "I see that it wasn't just I who was influenced by Len," she said.

Kahoko snapped out of her thoughts as she blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?" she asked.

A smile came upon Miyaji's face as she brought up her hand that held the violin. The fond smile on her face glowed as she thought back to the past. "This violin and I have been partners for many years now, ever since I was a young girl. My father and Tsukimori-san have been friends ever since I could remember. You see, Tsukimori-san was a very talented violinist. At his gatherings, he often played for his audience while being accompanied by Hamai Misa-san. I remember the first time that I heard him play, I was entranced,"

"The sound of each note was so crystal clear; the high notes as well. I was amazed that such a sound could be produced from the violin. It sparked my interest in music. Not too long after, Len's parents invited me to a children's concert that was held by many talented children and Len himself included. The songs played by each person was unique in it's own way, but it was Len's performance that took my notice. Like his father, Len was very talented. Despite being so young, he outshone the other contestants who were older than he was,"

"It was his first performance, as I was told by his parents, but he easily won first place. With his performance in my head, I was eager to learn as well. I was taught my one of the teachers that my father found for me. It was very difficult in the beginning and I had wanted to give up on several occasions, but as I recalled Len's sound, I persevered. And so, under his influence, I'm the person I am today," Miyaji replied.

Kahoko remained silent as she took on what Miyaji had told her. Though Len was free to inspire anyone (intentionally or unintentionally), Kahoko couldn't help but feel the sense of discomfort she had felt moments before, though this time, it began to grow heavier. "I-i see... A-anyway, I should be going back," Kahoko said quickly as she gave the girl a quick smile.

Miyaji nodded. "That's fine. It was nice talking to you, Hino-san," she said warmly.

Kahoko gave her a nod. "Same to you," she replied before taking off back on the path she came.

As soon as she was out of Miyaji's view, Kahoko slowed her pace down to a walk as she trudged her way back to the café. Visions of the blue haired violinist appeared in her mind as she recalled Miyaji's words. '_With his performance in my head, I was earger to learn as well,'_ Kahoko couldn't help but feel a little envious of the girl, since she had attended one of Len's first performances. Thinking back to the videos that she had seen with Kazuki and the others back at Minami Instruments, a miniature Len was recorded performing.

Though Len had claimed that back then, the level of his playing wasn't very high, his talent was real. At such a young age, he was already such a good player. And Miyaji knew the Len from that time as well. Reaching the back entrance of the café, Kahoko shook her head to clear out her thoughts as she returned into the back of the kitchen. "I'm back," she called out as several heads turned towards her.

"Yo! Talk about time.. I had been wondering whether I would have to come after you," Ryotaro teased with a playful grin.

Kahoko gave him a small smile. "Sorry about that, Tsuchiura-kun. You can go now," she said.

"Will do,"

Looking around the kitchen, Kahoko spotted that the workers had changed again. Now the ones that were in the back were Shimizu, Kazuki and Aoi. "Kaji-kun," Kahoko called out. "Where should I be?"

Aoi paused with the arrangement of the dishes as he looked around for a moment. "Well, Fuyuumi-san and Tsuchiura-san both left for their break, so only Yunoki-san and Tsukimori-san are out in the front. It seems rather busy out there, so I think it would be best if you worked with them," he said with a smile.

"Alright then,"

It was indeed rather busy outside. I could see that Azuma and Len were busy taking orders. It looked really tiring as I watched them move swiftly from one table to another. Seeing that there was a table that was still waiting for their orders to be taken, I quickly rushed over. It was a young couple, not too much older than than were. They were casually dressed. The guy had simple hair that wasn't too long and had bangs in the front just above his eyes. The girl who accompanied him also had short hair, just at the level of her earlobes, though in her case, it was a little curly. The girl had an innocent, pure air around her while the guy had a really cool atmosphere around him, as though he stood out. As the girl laughed with a hand covering her mouth, her boyfriend smiled at her lovingly in return. They made a really good couple.

Realizing that someone was studying them, the girl took notice of Kahoko and greeted her with a smile, making Kahoko realize that she was supposed to be taking the orders. "Hi, could we please have this blueberry smoothie with an order of spaghetti?" she said.

Kahoko nodded as she jotted the orders down in her notepad. "And Shi-chan here will have just have some cappuchino," the girl added as her boyfriend scowled at the name.

"Alright. Your orders will be here shortly," Kahoko said as she nodded to the customers and turned to leave.

As she left, she heard the guy speak in a tone of complaint, "Aww, why do you have to call me 'Shi-chan' in public? I always get those weird looks," he said.

"What's there to be embarrassed of? I think it is cute," the girl replied.

As Kahoko turned the corner, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the guy looking slightly embarrassed, but quickly forgave his girlfriend. Kahoko sighed as she brought her order to the desk and handed it to the kitchen. _That couple looks a lot like Tsukimori-kun and Miyaji-san... they also look really good together as well._ She thought with an uneasy feeling in her heart. _Tsukimori-kun and Miyaji-san are both really wealthy and that they both play the violin in levels that one like me could only dream of. She seems to care quite a bit for Tsukimori-kun, but I wonder what he thinks of her as. Only as a childhood friend or perhaps something more...?_ Kahoko sighed again as she noticed a vacant table out of the corner of her eye.

Reaching for an abandoned wash cloth, Kahoko's delicate fingers brushed against someone else's, which surprised her. Looking at the other person, Kahoko's eyes quickly scanned the face to reveal the face of her fellow concours member, Len. "A-ah, sorry," Kahoko said quickly as she grabbed a different cloth and continued her work.

Her face was flustered, it was evident, but as she left the scene, she could feel Len's surprised look follow her. _W-why is my face so red? It was just a mere accident.. could have happened with anyone!_ Kahoko told herself as she cleaned the table. _Maybe because it was Tsukimori-kun, who I had been thinking of just moments ago, who would look good with someone like Miyaji-san._ Kahoko suddenly paused as she thought about the words the had just crossed her mind. _He would look good with someone like her..._

As the day came to an end, the cafe manager rounded up all the employees after the cafe had closed and after they all changed back to their normal attire. "Thank you all for your hard work! We had another busy day, but thanks to you guys, it was very successful," he said. "Now, please go back to your resort and rest up,"

As Kahoko nodded, her eyes met Len's gaze as he stood opposite to her. He was clearly giving her a questioning look but Kahoko adverted her eyes. It was time to leave. "Y-you did well today, Kaho-sempai," said Shouko as the members of the concours took their leave.

Kahoko nodded towards her junior. "Yeah, you too. It's really exhausting," she said.

As they returned to their resort, Kahoko came down from their room to buy something to drink. Standing in front of the machine, Kahoko pondered on which drink she wanted to buy. _Pocari Sweat? Or perhaps... C.C. Lemon? Pocari Sweat tastes better when fatigued, but the sweetness of C.C. Lemon has a lot of vitamins..._ "Would you mind making your decision?" a familiar cold voice asked.

Kahoko's eyes widened as she knew who was the owner of that voice. Forgetting that she was ever thirsty, Kahoko spun around. "Ah T-tsukimori-kun... sorry about that. I-i changed my mind," she said quickly as she stepped out of his way to make her way back to the elevator.

But as she was about to move, a strong hand grabbed onto her wrist, preventing her from advancing any further. Surprised, Kahoko spun around to see Len holding onto her tightly. "T-tsukimori-kun? Could you let go?" she asked as Len's eyes narrowed.

"May I ask the reason for why you are avoiding me,"

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the cliff hanger there... I couldn't think of a proper way to end the chapter, but the story itself seemed to have wanted to end there, so that's how that turned out lol. I've also made a blog where my fanfictions will also be posted (link can be found in my profile), though they will be posted there first and then onto this site later. Anyway, please give me your opinions on this chapter! Thanks!**


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